Jang is the author of a new book, "Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee - A Look Inside North Korea.""After the execution of Jang Song Thaek [Kim Jong Un's uncle], he has become an orphan - not just in terms of family connections, but in terms of politics."

Noishkel:This news story really isn't a surprise. It's been speculated for years that the Kim family are just sociopathic sock puppets for The Party over there in Best Korea.

Yeah, but it's still good to hear some confirmation from an insider there. Defectors from the inner circles of power up there are relatively rare compared to the peasant/low ranking defectors we usually get.

I'd imagine he got a helluva debrief from South Korean and US intelligence after he left.

So, the Kim Dynasty really has become like the Chinese and Japanese Emperors. . .a puppet that sits and is manipulated by the military and bureaucracy, having nominally supreme power but very little ability to use it.

log_jammin:So effective was the regime propaganda machine, he told Amanpour, that he did not even believe that Kim the elder used the toilet.

...i.....uh....

I would imagine there is a metric shiatton of Best Koreans who don't use the toilet, as doing so would take valuable time away from finding a patch of grass to eat. Poop in place, just like Dear Leader.

yellowjester:Jang is the author of a new book, "Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee - A Look Inside North Korea.""After the execution of Jang Song Thaek [Kim Jong Un's uncle], he has become an orphan - not just in terms of family connections, but in terms of politics."

But Rodman said the uncle wasn't executed...

Nah, being mauled by dogs (allegedly) IS death by natural causes. You can't walk around in a steak suit and not expect attention from random dogs. He was asking for it.